ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION IN THE LABOUR MARKET

The fact that discrimination is difficult to measure has shaped policies and research in the field of immigration in Norway for decades. However, our research-based knowledge of the phenomenon has now accumulated to the extent that we can put an end to the ever-lasting discussion of whether ethnic discrimination in employment actually occurs and focus instead on the important question of how the problem can best be explained and addressed. In this article, I present the state of the art for research on ethnic discrimination in the Norwegian labour market. I start by defining what discrimination is and how it can be measured. Next, I review the research on employment discrimination of immigrants and their descendants in Norway. Finally, I present theories of discrimination at the individual, organisational, and structural levels and discuss the implications of this research for future studies of discrimination in the Norwegian context.